How kindness took a hold: A sociology of emotions, attachment and everyday enchantment.

How are we to understand the contemporary preoccupation-at least in many English-speaking societies-with 'random acts of kindness' and the idea of kindness more generally? Should this be seen as a challenge to the logic of capitalism or reinforcing of it, an example of commodification of emotion within our everyday lives? By introducing and mapping the contours of an emergent 'kindness industry', placing emotion (and enchantment) at the heart of how attachment to the idea of kindness is theorised, and marshalling existing empirical research on contemporary framings of everyday kindness, I argue that there is a need for a critical sociological engagement with the 'pro-social' that does justice to its profound ambivalence. In the case of contemporary kindness this involves understanding both the regulatory nature of the enchantment sold by a kindness industry and the problem-solving potential of the enchantment of kindness in the everyday, where it both helps address contemporary feelings of hopelessness and shame and facilitates the possibility of making life materially liveable.

Targeting DNA damage repair precision medicine strategies in cancer.

DNA repair targeted therapeutics is a promising precision medicine strategy in cancer. The development and clinical use of PARP inhibitors has transformed lives for many patients with BRCA germline deficient breast and ovarian cancer as well as platinum sensitive epithelial ovarian cancers. However, lessons learnt from the clinical use of PARP inhibitors also confirm that not all patients respond either due to intrinsic or acquired resistance.

Unravelling the clinicopathological and functional significance of replication protein A (RPA) heterotrimeric complex in breast cancers.

Replication Protein A (RPA), a heterotrimeric complex consisting of RPA1, 2, and 3 subunits, is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein that is critically involved in replication, checkpoint regulation and DNA repair. Here we have evaluated RPA in 776 pure ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS), 239 DCIS that co-exist with invasive breast cancer (IBC), 50 normal breast tissue and 4221 IBC. Transcriptomic [METABRIC cohort (n = 1980)] and genomic [TCGA cohort (n = 1090)] evaluations were completed.

Towards Personalized Management of Ovarian Cancer.

Despite advances in surgery and chemotherapy, the overall outcomes for patients with advanced ovarian cancer remain poor. Although initial response rates to platinum-based chemotherapy is about 60-80%, most patients will have recurrence and succumb to the disease. However, a DNA repair-directed precision medicine strategy has recently generated real hope in improving survival.